The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-08-24
An Exciting Up-erade Chase by
Runaway Engines Lives Saved
by a Crash

PHrIsRELrHI,. Aug. 3fi--A curious e,liis-
ion between engine No sa;, shifter No. $50
and later No. 100 sa Thursday lisi,s has
ended in death Norris Thomss..i, engineer
of No, 3a3. who was leaning out OF his cab
wiIrlow when the shiiicr stuck his tender
and piici,el him lae.sl first on to the network
OF railst gri.iirsn ti,e elevated rad died
at the Presbyterian Hospital Al : o'clock
yesterday morning He lived at HOS West
minister Avenue this city. was 4S years Old
and had been in the employ ofilie company i
long time
An eye witness says that Thomson had his
engine standing on the track near Seven-
ie,nth street waiting fs the second section
Of train No. 7iof the Harrisburg aud Wes-
| tern cxprss. The shifier, whose runaway
has not vet been explained, it Is positively
| asserted moved at the usual signal Of the
| hand, preparatory 10 moving line Of EARS
standing on another track This was just
about haif-pist 10 clock and rhomson's en-
gine was close by the signal tower near Sew
entecnth street. Charles Biasemore. the
firemen, was polishing the headlight.
Suddenly there was : rumble Of Wheels ON
the track behind S93, where Thomson was
leaning lazily out of his eah window smok-
ing his pipe. Then came crash. The ten
der tilted high ON its forward trucks. Ont
of the window Thomson went head foremost
| and Blakemore was thrown violently 70 the
ground and knocked partly unconscious.
There was creak Of machinery and hiss
of escapingsteam as the fireman gathered him
self together. On oneof the inbound tracks
also came a train dashing along and Blake.
more saw his engineer lying partly across
this track manged and bleeding and mo-
ment later knew that the fast train had run
oyer his already wounded partner
| Then he looked for the engine and saw it
! dashing away over the ct towards the river.
for the conclusion had thrown open the
throttle full wide. and that meant nearly
sixty miles an hour, runaway engine over
line where dozens Of engines and hundreds
of cars and men were working at the time.
On went 315 flying up the track until It
reached the crossing of Philadelphia Will
mington and Baltimore, at Thirtieth street
Engine No. 100, which runs to West Ches-
ter, was standing there. Now came another
terrific smash, another black figure flying
through the night air, for engineer Kelley
had jumped for his life when he saw the
runaway engine close behind his ten
| der open went another throttle now up
the track sped two engines toward the high
grade near which is an open switch.
1t was a close race between the mighty en-
gines, and 393 was a close second all the way
through At the switch there is a side track
probably 100 feet long On to this they dash
ed. Then came a plunge over an embank-
ment and 1l00 lay siirieking on her side to
meet the dying embraces of 393, that jun
ped 10 death a moment later.
Now came u roar of escaping steaa and
the throb of the pistons in the cylinders that
seemed unwilling to stop. \ great crowd
collected and later the wrecgers were at work
trying to pull the dismantled engines ont OF
the ditch Undoubtedly the switch saved
many lives, for had the switch been closed
the flying engines would have colIided with
trains due on the main track
The trainmen on the ~ went TO Blake
more's assistance, he was taken to the Pres
byterian Hospital, where his injuries were
pronounced serious though not necessarily
fatal. Engineer Kelley, of flOo, escaped with
a bad cut in the forehead aud thinks himself
lucky.